My impressions of a young doctor...

[Guest guest]

Hi,

Last night I was introduced to a young doctor (an internist) who is

just finished with her residency. We talked a bit about her

experience as a doctor and working with patients. I asked her what

she thought about " patient experts " (what we are, patients who know a

lot about their condition and treatment options) and she said that

they were a nightmare, thinking that they know best. I suggested that

wasn't it helpful to have patients who were educated and understood

their treatment options, and before I could finish my thought she

interupted " As long as they understand their limitations " which was

what I was going to say.

I didn't tell her about my fibroids (not the time, place or company)

but I did refer to having had the experience of having doctors

suggest surgery for treatment of a benign condition, which may or may

not provide the results they were after. I also pointed out that

there are many reasons why a patient might not want to undergo

surgery that also included financial implications such as missing

many weeks of work and income, being single and not being able to

care for oneself post op, fear of surgery, and that there may also be

philosophical reasons as well (I didn't offer but I'm referring to

not wanting to deliver via a c-section, not wanting to risk losing

your uterus, worry about adhesions).

I also mentioned my poor treatment after my car accident and how I

wasn't prescribed proper care by multiple practitioners -- which also

mean that a patient who follows the doctor's advice isn't always

going to get the best care.

She said that human beings have been surviving eating what they want

since the beginning of time and she wasn't going to talk to people

about changing their diets, she said we were obsessed in America with

our eating habits. It sounds like someone else's rhetoric she's

picked up along the way. She also admitted that she didn't have much

training in nutrition " not as much as the nutritionists " she said

with an air that indicated that nutritionists weren't as good as

doctors.

This doctor is young, inexperienced, already jaded and a bit callous.

I would hate to have anyone I care about be treated by her, so

trivial was she about people's health and healing. As an internist

she sees lots of patients, and I'm sure lots of women with uterine

fibroids. Let the buyer beware.

--Ann